Frederick eggke



(ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

.F. EGGE.

LOOK.

No. 246,605. Patented Sept. 6,1881.

I my

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. F. EGGE.

LOOK

(Model.)

No. 246,605. Patents d Sept. 6,1881.

fzzverz 602'." (M% UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK EGGE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE SMITH & EGGEMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 246,605, datedSeptember 6, 1881.

Application filed February 10, 1881. (ModeL) I To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK EGGE, of Bridgeport, in the county ofFairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Tumbler- Locks; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full and exact description thereof, reference beinghad tothe accompanying drawings, making a part of this application.

My invention relates to looks, more especially that class of locks knownas tumblerlocks.

It-has for its object to presentalockin which the action of the tumblersdoes not depend on springs, the former being brought into properposition by the positive action of the key and unset by a rib on atubular guide, and also to improve that class of keys which cannot beinserted into the lock except in the position necessary to operate thesame; and with these ends in view my invention consists in so arranginga series of tumblersin a lock that they shall be operated upon by thekey alone to set the same, and without the intervention of springs,andbya longitudinal rib on a tubular key-guide to unset the same, as willbe hereinafter more fully set forth.

It further consists in aflatkey provided with a lip formed by cuttingthe end of the key transverselyashort distance and turning up a shortstump, and providing a corresponding opening in the wall of thekey-hole, whereby it is impossible to put the key in the wrong way.

In order that those skilled may fully understand my invention, I willdescribe its constrnction and mode of operation, reference being had byletters to the accompanying drawings, which represent my invention asapplied to a spring-latch, and in which- Figure 1 is an internal view ofthe shell of my lock with the tumblers removed and exposing thespring-latch. Fig. 2 is a top view of the lock with the covr removed andthe tumblers brought into position by the key, so as to bring theseveral slots in said tumblers in line, for the purpose hereinafterfully explained. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the same with the boltpartly withdrawn and its shoulder or stump part way within thecoinciding slots in the ends of the tumblers. Fig.4shows the bolt lockedagainst retraction. Fig. 5 is a view of my improved key, showing thepeculiar arrangement of notches or slots on the side, and also the lipor guard on the end.

Similar letters indicate like parts in the sev eral figures.

In all locks with which I am familiar the tumblers are either operatedconjointly by the key and a series of springs, or else the tumblers areoperated by gravity. In either case the action of the tumblers dependingon the springs or gravity after a short time becomes irregular andimperfect.

Myinvention is designed to overcome all the disadvantages incident tolocks constructed as above described, and has for its objects simplicityand economy of construction and accuracy and durability in operation.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the case of the lock, and Bthe cover or laceplate. Within the case A is arranged a sliding latch,C, forced outwardly by a spring, I), and adapted to be drawn back by aknob, E. The longitudinal bark of the latch is provided with a verticalslot, G, against the rear shoulder of which a projection on thebolt-plate strikes to withdrawthelatch, as will be presently explained.

Kis a hub, having a radial arm, L, anda hearing, which fitsinthe plate Band extends through said plate a shortdistance. Through this hub K, andfastened to it so that both pieces revolve together,is the tubular guideI, through which the key passes, made to conform in shape and size tothe key, and having formed on one side a longitudinal rib, I, which,when the key is turned to withdraw it from the lock, acts upon one sideof the central slots of the tumblers to disarrange or unset the same.The end Iot' this tubularguide is also ajournal, and has its bearing inthe.

back plate of the case. I then fasten in the escutcheon over that partof the hub K which extends through the plate B, either by drawing it onor in any other suitable manner. I let the tubular guide I extendthrough thePh-ub K more or less, according to the thickness of materialin which the lock is to be placed,"and use an escutcheon of more or lesslength accordingly. The tubular guide is out awe; on

the inside of the case and the key is there ex posed,asclearlyshown in adetail figure in the drawings, (marked Fig. 3%) for the purposehereinafter explained.

M is the tumbler-post, arrangednearone end of the plate B, and overwhich all of the tumblers are passed, and on which they are allvibrated.

N are the tumblers, (the number beingimmaterial,) which are simplepieces of fiat metal with a hole at one end to fit over the post M, andthe other end slotted,as clearly shown, to permit the entrance of anupwardly-projecting shoulder or stump, 0, turned up from one side of thebolt-plate P. This bolt-plate P has acentral opening, Q, behind theshoulder or stump O, to permit the rotation of the hub K, and with ashoulder, R, on one side, against which the radial arm L comes incontact to retract the bolt-plate. Thereis,of course,alongitudinalchannel in the plate P through which the post M passes, and whichpermits of the longitudinal reciprocation of the said plate, as clearlyshown by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

S is a smallprojection orarm turned up from one side of the plate P, andis designed to fit within the slot G in the spring-latch bar F to drawback the same when the key is turnedin the lock and the bolt retracted.The latter is forced back to its place by the springD, through themedium of the shoulder Ton the latch-bar F bearing against the end ofthe plate P.

The tumblers N are each cutaway at about the center, as seen at U, topermit of the passage through them ot'the tubular guide. The

widths of these openings are exactly the same in every tumbler and aboutequal to the width.

of the key, as will be presently more fully explained.

The key represented at Fig. 5 is formed of sheet-steel, and has itsextreme end cut and turned up at right angles to form a lip, a,

which prevents its insertion in any but the proper manner. Wards equalto the number of tumblers to be used in the lock are cut in oppositeedgesof the key-blank about equal to the thickness of the tumblers, thewards being out ofline with each other to the same extent. Care is takento have the distance between the bottom of each ward and the projectington gue opposite the same about equal to the width of theopening Uin thetumblers. From this construction it will be observed that when thekey isinserted and turned in the lock each ward operates a different tum bler,throwing them alt ternately in different directions until the key hasassumed a position at right angles to the plane of movement of the bolt,at which point of time the slots in the upper or front end ofthe'tumblers are all coincident and forma free passage for the entranceof the shoulder or stump O of the bolt-plate P as it is retracted by theradial arm L as the rotation of the key is continued. The distancebetween the bottom of the wards in the key and the opposite projectingtongues being about equal, as before stated, to the width of theopenings Uin the tumblers, and the tubular guide being formed with therib I", it follows that when the keyis turned to somethingless than aright angle to the line of movement of the bolt all the tumblers areheld perfectly rigid until the shoulder or stump O has obtainedanentrance to the channel or gate in the upper end of the tumblers, thusdoing away entirely with the necessity of all springs for accomplishingthis result. The tumblers are brought back by the rib l on thetumbler-guide as the key is turned to withdraw it from the lock, andthey then present a stop against which the end of the shoulder or stump0 would come in contact, thus preventing the retract-ion of the bolt ifan attemptis made to do so withoutthe proper key.

It will be observed that to cut the slots in the end of the tumblers atthe proper points the keyis first introduced and turned tosomething lessthan a right angle to the plane of movement of the bolt, when the end ofeach tumbler is marked at thepoint where the shoulder or stump O on thebolt touches the same, when the slots are then cut at such points, andall subsequent movements of thekey will bring the tumblers to exactlythe same place.

I have shown myinvention as applied to an ordinary ni gh t-latch and thepeculiaritiesin the construction of the bolt are simply the necessitiesof the combination, and I do not, therefore, wish to confine myinvention to these features of construction, the gist of my inventionresting in the idea of combining with the bolt of alock a series oftumblers cut away at about their center and adapted to allow the passageof the key through the same, the said openings being all made alike andof a width about equal to the width of the operative portion of the key,so that the tumblers are positively held in position thereby. Thenotches and tongues of the key being opposite to each other, as shown,the tumblers are alternately vibrated in opposite directions, so thatsaid tumblers will be operated without the intervention of springs ofany kind, and held perfectly firm and rigid by the key at the time thatthelockbolt begins its retraction,and unset bythe rib on the tubularguide as the key is turned to withdraw it.

1 am aware that it is not new, broadly, to provide a flat key with alongitudinal rib to prevent false insertion, and that a projection hasbeen formed by mortising a separate piece to the key, and I do not wishto cover anysuch broad idea, my invention resting solely in the idea offorming the projection on the key by cutting the metal crosswise andturning up the lip so formed.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a lock, a series of tumblers provided each with a gate at thefront end and pivoted at their rear ends, and formed with central slotsor openings all of exactly the samedimensions and about equal in theirshortest diameters to the width of the operative portions of the key,end out transversely and bent up to form a lip, in combination with thetubular gnideI, Where substantially as and for the purpose set forth. :0by the tumblers are vibrated to bring the gates Witness my hand andsignature this 9th day into line by the key and returnedby the action ofOctober, 1879. of the rib on the tubular guide, and withoutthe FREDERICKEGGE. intervention of any springs, substantially as v In preseneeofhereinbefore set forth. WARREN H. DAY,

2. A flat sheet-metal key having its lower HERMAN GAUss.

